Friday, June 13, 2014

(The Not So) Happy Father's Day



Mark 14:36
"Abba, Father," he said, "everything is possible for you.  Take this cup from me.  Yet not what I will, but what you will."

Father's Day is upon us.  This is my first not knowing what it's like to send a card, make that phone call, and buy a special gift for my Dad.  I can't begin to describe the emptiness, the hollow place I feel within.  That place that only my Dad, who loved me unconditionally and of whom I could always be proud, filled and satisfied.

How I wish I didn't have to drink from this cup . . .

I am fully cognizant that I'm not the only one of us out here for whom Father's Day is a time of sadness and precious, poignant memories.  So many in my age bracket have lost one or both parents in recent years.  Even when prolonged illness foreshadows the inevitable, the loss is never easy.  The passage of time may ease the grief we feel, but nothing can erase the love we remember and the joys shared with our dads and moms.

So, if you, like me, are finding this coming Father's Day difficult and painful to bear, I hope you will, with me, remember that we have our eternal Daddy, our Abba, in heaven.  He is there to comfort us when we mourn, to count and wipe away every tear shed, and to gather us to Himself as His precious children.

God is everlasting, ever present.  And, in Him, all things are possible.

And, I take immeasurable comfort knowing that my Daddy is in His loving embrace.

Prayer:  On this Father's Day, dear Abba, bless all the dads and step-dads whose love and presence are especially celebrated at this time.  Give comfort to all who have lost a parent and for whom this day is one of sorrow.  May we always know, dearest Daddy, that we can run to you and climb up in Your lap when we are missing a parent's embrace.  In the precious name of Jesus, we pray.  Amen

8 comments:

  1. My heart is with you and I understand your loss. May your faith overshadow your grief on this day.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Martha, my heart goes out to you on this first Father's Day without your daddy. I know you have many precious memories to reflect on at this special time.

    Father's Day has never really had any significance for me, as my daddy passed before I was a year old (in fact, he missed his first Father's Day!). As I've gotten older, I've struggled more--trying to understand who a daddy really is and what a daddy really does. I'm guessing it does impact my relationship with my Father in heaven.

    From what I've heard, I would have been a "daddy's girl" had he lived.

    Sending much love and many hugs your way. Prayers too!

    Love and blessings!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for your sweet thoughts, Kim. I knew from previous comments you made that you lost your dad at a young age - always so tough to grow up without one of your parents (my father lost his own dad when he was only seven), but we can trust in our Abba to always be there for us.
      Love and blessings!

      Delete
  3. No words....hugs to you Martha. <3

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hugs Martha, I can completely understand when you talk about the emptiness and that is when I look up at Him - Our Father up there looking down at us, smiling and telling us I am there my child, just keep going <3

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for the hugs, dear Privy. Yes, today has been harder than I even anticipated, but my Abba in Heaven will always be my Daddy.
      Love and blessings!

      Delete

. . . Good Tidings of Great Joy . . .

  . . . Good tidings of great joy . . . ~Luke 2:10 Pictured above are my daughter, Sarah, son-in-law, John, and their three girls, Virginia,...